Light + Shadow Wrap

Our Light + Shadow Wrap pairs perfectly with a tall glass of lemonade and a shady perch. Its two-color play is deceptively simple, just rows of knits and purls that work up with the rhythm and flow of a porch swing!

This simple pattern involves sections of stockinette stitch punctuated by rows of contrasting garter stripes that sway back and forth, one color giving way to the other. Pick similar tones (like we did) for a soft glow, or intensify the look with a high-contrast pairing.

Purl Soho’s Field Linen infuses our Light + Shadow Wrap with a casual sophistication. Whatever linen might lack in downiness, it more than makes up for with its cool, crisp modern sensibility. An elegant, no-nonsense pattern and a fresh, summertime fiber… Kick off your sandals for a shoot-the-breeze kind of knit!

GAUGE

SIZE

NOTE

Carry unused color of yarn up the side of the wrap by bringing the working yarn behind then under the non-working yarn every right-side row.

PATTERN

With Color A, cast on 105 stitches.

Set-Up Rows 1-4: With Color A, knit to end of row.

Section 1

Row 1 (right side): With Color B, knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): With Color B, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Rows 9 + 10: With Color A, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1-10 eight more times.

NOTE: You may notice that for our sample we repeated nine times, but to be sure you don’t run out of yarn, we suggest eight times! (Don’t worry, we adjusted the finished length to accommodate this change.)

Section 2

Row 1 (right side): With Color B, knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): With Color B, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Rows 9-12: With Color A, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1–12 seven times more, ending with wrong-side row.

Section 3

Row 1 (right side): With Color B, knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): With Color B, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Rows 9–14: With Color A, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1–14 six more times, ending with wrong-side row.

Section 4

Row 1 (right side): With Color B, knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): With Color B, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Rows 9 + 10: With Color A, knit to end of row.

Rows 11 + 12: With Color B, knit to end of row.

Rows 13-16: Repeat Rows 9-12, ending with a wrong-side row.

Section 5

Row 1 (right side): With Color A, knit to end of row.

Row 2: With Color A, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Rows 9-14: With Color B, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1-14 six more times, ending with wrong-side row.

Section 6

Row 1 (right side): With Color A, knit to end of row.

Row 2: With Color A, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with wrong-side row.

Row 9-12: With Color B, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1-12 seven more times, ending with wrong-side row.

Section 7

Row 1 (right side): With Color A, knit to end of row.

Row 2: With Color A, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, ending with a wrong-side row.

Rows 9 + 10: With Color B, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1-10 eight more times.

NOTE: Again, for our sample we repeated nine times but recommend eight to ensure you have enough yarn.

Hi!
I just received the Cattail Silk x2 for the Rose Stitch wrap – and was getting ready to wind it and start…..when I saw the pattern for Light+Shadow wrap! I’ve changed my mind and have just ordered Field Linen! Be in the look out for the 2skeins of silk that I’m returning. Thankfully you always provide an option to redirect the creative urge when one’s mind has changed!
Thanks again,
Brenda

I love the Natural Flax color. What solid color would work well with it for a subtle, elegant complement? Would Silver Thistle be enough of a contrast, or should I go with a more definitely different color like Wheat Berry? Thanks as always for your guidance.

Hello Norma,
Thank you for reaching out! I think that Silver Thistle will be subtle, but elegant, so perhaps it would be perfect. I think It will not be high contrast, but it will give you enough contrast.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla

Great question! Although I am not a machine knitter myself, I believe it is a bit tricky to create garter or reverse stockinette rows on a knitting machine without special attachments or hand manipulation, and there are garter ridges between the stockinette stripes throughout this wrap. However, if you are familiar with machine knitting and up to the challenge, that would make creating this wrap a breeze!

What a beautiful design and not difficult! Always a plus for a new knitter. I have never knit with linen and I am finding that when I weave in the loose ends they do not want to stay put, any suggestions?

Thanks for the kind words and for reaching out! It can be extra tricky to weave in ends with fibers such as cotton, linen, and slippery silks – unlike wool, the fiber doesn’t have any barbs to grip onto itself. Any of the techniques we use in our Weaving In Ends tutorial will work, but I usually weave for a longer distance, at least 2 to 3 inches in one direction and at least half that distance in the opposite direction, when working with difficult yarns, and leave about a quarter inch when I trim the tail. If you cut it any closer you will probably find it just pops back out! After the first few washes and wears I also check to see if any tails need a fresh trim, but as long as you have woven in enough length you will have plenty of room to re-trim the tails as necessary.

Hi everyone,
I was wondering if someone could help me with the NOTE instructions. Do I bring the working yarn behind and over the non working yarn only at the beginning of every right side row?
I am trying to figure that out but so far to no avail…
Thank you and happy knitting everyone!

Hi🤩
I’m almost finishing up with this wrap and looking ahead on how to block it. Can you describe how to do that plus can you successfully stretch it with loosing the ridges? Or, how much?
Thanks,
Brenda🤩

Thanks for writing in! One of the best things about our Field Linen is that it is machine washable! Although the ridges will still stand out even after a bit of a stretch, it shouldn’t be necessary to block this wrap aggressively. I would wash it in a mesh delicates bag on a cold and gentle cycle and then lay it flat to dry and simply reshape it to have straight edges without pinning or stretching.

Hello!! I want to thank you for all of your exceptionally beautiful patterns and yarns. I have been a “yarnaholic” for a long time and can truly appreciate these luxurious fibers. I have never worked with 100% linen before. I know it usually gets softer after washing. Is this true of your field linen? Is it similar to Shibui linen? My concern is the stiffness of the new yarn and I’m wondering if that would affect my knitting. Again, many thanks for your lovely site!!

Thanks so much for the kind words and for writing in! Although I’m not familiar with Shibui linen, I have washed and blocked our Field Linen before and it softens up dramatically! It can be a bit of a challenge to knit with due to the stiffness of the unwashed yarn, but if you make it through, it does become dramatically softer and drapier after a trip through the washing machine. As always, you should knit a gauge swatch, since if you are unused to knitting with plant fibers, you may find that you knit tighter or looser than you usually do.